It is known that certain genotypes of swine are more susceptible to porcine stress syndrome than others. In swine breeding, raising and production, problems associated with porcine stress syndrome are a very real concern. The concern is present because swine suffering from porcine stress syndrome do not perform as well from the standpoint of efficiency of weight gain, quality of meat, and of course profitability. There is, therefore, a need and a continuing effort to develop methods of treating animals susceptible to porcine stress syndrome so that these animals can be effectively and profitably raised.
The fact that these animals are normally intended for ultimate slaughter and consumption by humans raises several associated problems. In particular, any drugs used must be demonstrated to be safe and efficacious and to have no ultimate impact on the general edible quality of the animal's meat. This, of course, eliminates some drug treatments which could otherwise be used with swine to treat porcine stress syndrome. Also, it is very important from the standpoint of consumer acceptability of the meat product that any treatment for porcine stress syndrome not effect the muscle quality of the animal's meat. In particular, swine suffering from porcine stress syndrome often have pale, soft and exudative meat. Of course, if the meat or muscle is pale in color, soft, spongy and exudative, regardless of taste and flavor, it will not be accepted and purchased by consumers.
There is, therefore, a real and continuing need for a way to treat certain genotypes of swine normally susceptible to porcine stress syndrome such that muscle quality problems of the animal often associated with porcine stress syndrome are alleviated.
There is also a continuing need for such a treatment as mentioned above, which in no way adds adulterating drug levels to the meat. Further, there is a continuing need for a way of treatment of genotypes of swine normally susceptible to porcine stress syndrome so that the meat of the animals will not be pale, soft and exudative.
Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a treatment for genotypes of swine normally susceptible to porcine stress syndrome, which alleviates muscles quality problems normally associated with porcine stress syndrome.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a method of treatment which provides no adulterating drug levels in the meat.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a treatment which when given to genotypes of swine normally susceptible to porcine stress syndrome minimizes the tendency of the muscle to be pale, soft and exudative.
The method and manner of accomplishing each of the above objectives will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention and the examples which follow.